Nothing less than a title will satisfy veteran PKL defender Dharmaraj Cheralathan

HYDERABAD: One of the top defence professionals in the Indian kabaddi, 42-year-old Dharmaraj Cheralathan is eager to prove his mettle again. After leading Patna Pirates to title in Season 4 last year, the seasoned campaigner wants to repeat the feat with Puneri Paltan this time around. Pune, who finished third last time, will begin their campaign against U Mumba here on July 28. "With four new teams in the fray, the Season 5 will be very tough and hectic as well. But we got a very good allround team this time around. Our aim is to win gold. Nothing less will satisfy me," Dharmaraj said. Dharmaraj was one of the key members of the Indian squad that won the World Cup Championships at Ahmedabad last year by beating Iran 38-29 in the final. Recalling the World Cup victory, which the Indians won for the third successive time, Dharmaraj said, the Iranians fought bravely and gave us a tough fight in the first half. But we took control of the game in the second half, and dominated the proceedings thereafter." Hailing from Thiruchanampoondi in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, Dharmaraj has come a long way in his professional career. He represented India in the World Cup, Southeast Asian Championships and Asian Beach Games. He has the distinction of being a member of the Hall of Fame, an achievement only a few top kabaddi professionals can boast of. The South Central Railway (SCR) employee and a Hyderabad resident, had earlier represented the Telugu Titans, based in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam in Season 3 and helped them finish a creditable third. He was the captain of last season's winning team Patna Pirates before joining the ranks of Puneri Paltan this season. 'Anna' as he is fondly referred to by his teammates, is the most respected player in the pro kabaddi league. The veteran left-and-right corner defence specialist, completed 8 super tackles in Season 4, the most by a player across all the four seasons. Dharmaraj, who played the game for 18 long years, said that pro kabaddi has changed the way the game is played in the country. "There is a lot of speed now. More than that, kabaddi has regained its popularity among the people in the country," he said.